Method of making flexible valve seats



Sept. 26, 1939. F. A. WELSMlLLER Er AL 2,174,337

\ METHOD OF MAKING FLEXIBLE VALVE SEATS Filed Sept. 21, 1937 [2Sheets-Sheet l Sept-2'6, 1939. F. A. WELSMILLER'I'EI' AL: 2,

' METHOD OF MAKING FLEXIBLE VALVE 'SEATS Filed Spt. 21, 193'? 2 SheetsSheet 2' If I E Y INVENTOR.

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ATTO s Patented Sept.

PATENT OFFICE 1 2,114,331 mrrnon orusxmo rmxmm vsnva erick a. Welsmillerand some Schneider,

Saginaw, Mich, "liners to Baton Manufaciioii r Ohio ApplicationSeptember :1. 19:7. Serial No. 104m 3 Claims. (c1. 29-156.?) 4

The presentinvention relates to a method oi making valve seats, and moreparticularly to a method oi making flexible valve seat elements orinserts for internal combustion engines.

An object of the present invention is theprovision of a novel method 01making flexible valve seat elements or inserts for internal combustionengines of the-p ppet valve time, so constructed and arranged that thevalve seat proper is'iree to move relative to its supporting'portion andto the supporting member, which in the case oi an internal combustionengine is usually the engine cylinder. I

Another object of the present invention is the '1 provision oi a novelmethod of making flexible Valve seat elements or inserts io'r internalcombustion; engines oi the poppet valve type, the seating portion oiwhich 'is coated with a high heat-resisting alloy and is tree to moverelative 20'tc its supporting portion and to'the supporting memben whichmember, in the case of an internal combustion engine, is usually theengine cylinder.

-' -Another.obiect of the present invention is the provision oi a novelmethod of making flexible '25'valve seat elements or inserts forinternal combustion engines or the poppet valve type, comprisinglnnerannular seating portions and outwardly spaced supporting portionswherein the groove or space between the aforesaid portions is 30 made byfirst making a large groove and substan fti'ally: closingthe largegrooves predetermined amount. 5

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novelmethod 01 making a flexible 5,; valve seat elementorinsert for aninternal combus'tionfengine of the; poppet valvertype coman annularseating portion surrounded by annular supporting Por ion spaced from the,seating portion and connected thereto by a, thinwalled annular portion,whereinthe groove between the outer supporting portion and the in- "nerseating portion is formed by flrst making a l comparatively large groovewhich undercuts the inner-seating portion, and. subsequently contract- Iing the'portion externally of the groove to bring the respective partsinto predetermined relationl'urther objects and advantages of thepresent 3 invention will be apparent to those skilled-in the art towhich the invention relates from the 101-, lowing disclosure anddescription oi the preferred manner of practicing the inventiondescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings 55 forming a partof this specification. in which ternal combustion engine constructed inaccordance with the process or the'present invention.

Fla. 2 is a section similar to Fig. 1 showing the valve seat elementshown in Fig; 1 in a iurther stage of manuiacturm,

m. s is an expanded section or the punch, 10 spacer ring and valve seatelement shown in Fig. 2, and die showing a iurther step in the P Fig. 4is a ,.view similar to Fig. 3 showing, the elements in mated position;Pig. 5 is a pian oithe finished valve seat element shown in thepreceding figures;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5. and

Fig. 7 is a section of the valve seat element shown in Figs. 5 and 6assembled in a valve port 01' an internal combustion engine.

Generally speaking the method of the present invention comprises forminga flexible valve seat element or insert for an internal combustion engine of the Po pet valve type, which element or insert comprises anouter annular supporting portion and an annular seat formed on the upperend or an inner annular thin-walled portion spaced from the outerannular supporting por tion by an annular groove, a portion of whichgroove undercuts part of the inner annular porsubsequently contractingthe stock externallyof as the groove to close the groove a desiredamount, and machining the stock or blank to the required shapeeitherbefore or after formation of the aforesaid groove or partly beforeand partly after forming said groove. 40 The flrst step in the preferredmanner 01' practicing the process 01 the present invention, as

shown herein, is the provision of an annular piece 0! stock or blank Aof suitable material having e cylindrical aperture Ill therein,counterbored as 4 at li A coating I 2 of high heat-resisting alloy, suchas stellite, maybe applied in the usual manner to ultimately form theseat proper on the counter-bore ii. A comparatively wide annular roovell is then cut in the blank A in spaced relotion to the counterbore IIwith a portion of the groove l4 imdercutting a part 01' the innerannular portion ll i'ormed thereby. The remainder ,of the blank, thatis, the part thereof externally ofthe groove .isiinishedasindicatedlnl'igd ii in this form the blank externally of the groove lleonsistsofanannularringorfiange ll prolooting at an angle to theremainder thereof. The next step in the process comprises contractingannular flange II to partially'close the I by forcing the blank througha suitable-die II by means of a stepped punch II. In order to maintain apredetermined spaced relation between the outer annular supportingportion and the inner annular seating portion a split ring II, adaptedto be carried in a recess 2i iormed in the bottom end of the punch II,is adapted to project within the groove It in the blank during theforming operation. The blank is preferably heated previous to-beingforced through the die ii to assist the operation and to minimise thestresses set up between the various parts of the blank. The punch itforces the blank through the die i'l with the spacer ring in position asshown in Fig. 4. Theblank including the coating of. high heat-resistingalloy is subsequently machined or ground to the desired final shapeshown in Figs. 5 and 6.

In Fig. 7 the finished valve seat element or insert is shown assembledwith a valve port II of an-internal combustion engine designatedgenerally by the reference character E. The valve port is recessed, asat N, to provide a seat for the valve seat element or insert, which maybe pms fitted, shrunk, welded, brazed or otherwise secured therein; Thematerial of the valve seat is preferably so chosen with regard to itsco-' efilcient of thermal expansion that it will not tend to come looseat any operating temperature to which it is subject. thin-walled annularportion 21 which carries the seat proper the annular seating surface 28is free to move under the influence of the valve, to retain its seatingrelation irrespective of changed conditions due to the operation of theengine.

While thepreferred manner of practicing the process of the presentinvention has been described with considerable detail it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the specific stepsherein shown and described which may be varied within the scope of thisinvention. For example, the aperture ll in the blank A may be formedsubsequent to the formation of the groove M. In like manner the valveseat may be ground prior to the contraction of the flange or part It. Itis our intention to cover hereby all modifications and variations of theprocess disclosed that come within the practice of those skilled in theart towhich the present invention relates and which fall within thesphere and scope of the present invention as defined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim: 1. The method of making aring -like flexible valve seat element for an internal combustion engineof the poppet valve type which comprises Because of the relativelyamass? of the blank, contracting the portion of the blank externally ofthe groove to only partly close said groove, and subsequently anachinmgthe blank to the desired final shape.

2. The method of making a ring-like flexible valve seat element for aninternal combustion engine of the poppet valve type which comprisesproviding a suitable blank having a counterbored aperture extendingtherethrough the large end of which aperture also forms the seat proper,machining said blank to a frusto-conical shape by a turning operationwith the taper thereof converging in the direction of the small end ofsaid aperture and turning an annular tapered groove converging towardsits bottom in the large end of the blank in spaced relation with saidcounterbore undercutting a portion of the blank radially inwardlythereof with the outer wall of said groove diverging outwardly towardthe surface of the blank forming a body portion proper having anexternal inclined annular flange connected to the body portion adjacentthe end of the blank in which the small end of said aperture opens,subsequently contracting the portion of the blank externally of thegroove to only partly close said groove by forcing the blank into a die,and thereafter machining the blank to the desired final shape.

3. The method of making a ring-like flexible valve seat elementfor aninternal combustion engine of the poppet valve type which comprises:providing a suitable .frusto-conical shaped blank having a counterboredaperture extending therethrough with the large end of said aperturewhich also forms the seat proper opening into. the large end of theblank and an annular tapered groove convergingtowards its bottom in thelarge end of the blank in spaced relation with said counterbore andundercutting a portion of the blank radially inwardly of the groove, theouter side wall of said groove diverging toward the surface of theblank; placing an annular ring-shaped mandrel in said groove andcontracting the portion of the blank externally of the groove againstsaid mandrel to partially close the groove by forcing the blank into adie; subsequently removing said mandrel; and machining the blank to thedesired-final shape.

FREDERICK A. WEISMIILER. ANDREW SCHNEIDER.

